


The Captain's Troubles

by LeeLeeMak



Series: Cahills Assemble! [3]
Category: The 39 Clues - Various Authors
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-12
Updated: 2012-12-12
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeLeeMak/pseuds/LeeLeeMak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake reflects on his new life in the future, deciding that maybe he should back out of the race for Amy's heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Captain's Troubles

It had been a few years since Jake had been out in the field -- he’d realized that already, come to terms with it. It might even be a few more until Fiske let him back out (he was glad Fiske was still there. He was afraid he’d been in ice much long than he had, Fiske was the one similar being, though he was in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D now. Back when Jake first started his work, it had been Grace Cahill. Jake had heard she’d died, though). He was fine with that, he and Atticus needed to rework themselves to get used to their new surroundings. Train, learn, study, work.

No, it wasn’t the fact that they couldn’t go out and help people that bothered Jake -- it was the fact that his Avengers were gone. He’d been told that Hope and Arthur had died, Eisenhower had been cured and long retired, and Vikram had been shunned for having a relationship with their enemy -- Isabel Vesper-Hollingsworth. Shep was the only one open for work, though he had moved on to aerodynamics. Or something. Jake wasn’t quite sure.

The new Avengers were strange. Ian and Natalie claimed to be Vikram’s children, but Jake was certain that they would’ve been shunned like their father if that was the truth (which is why he didn’t believe the shunning story in the first place. Besides, Vikram had been one of his better friends). Hamilton said he was Eisenhower’s son, which wasn’t at all hard to believe, especially after Jake saw him fight. Sinead completely put him off with her strange magic. Dan reminded him of Arthur, he liked Dan (though he wished Atticus wouldn’t worship the ground he stood on).

That Amy girl was a whole nother matter. Almost exactly like her mother (though a bit shy, which Hope was most certainly not), she drove Jake insane. The same auburn hair, though a bit more brown than Hope’s, and the same wonderful green eyes that stopped him in his tracks. Made him doubt his decisions, that made him want to train harder so that he could protect her.

(Not that Jake would ever admit that to anyone, especially Hope. She and Arthur had already been married by the time he joined them.)

Of course, Amy didn’t need any protecting. Despite not being like her brother -- who was born with powers, one of the few who were -- Amy could hold herself well in a fight. She knew all kinds of fighting styles, martial arts, and psychological attacks. She used society’s view of women to her advantage, and Jake couldn’t help but feel incredibly impressed by it.

(Especially when they sparred the other day. He had her in a choke-hold, and she had somehow convinced him he’d won. When he released her, she twirled around him and threw him to the ground. He hadn’t minded [he’s slightly guilty about feeling this way, but she’d had her thighs around his neck for a few seconds. Toned and...].)

But there was Ian in the picture. Evan too. Both of the boys had their eyes on Amy (Jake had heard that Evan was actually dating the girl, but Sinead denied this. They simply went on a single date, she’d explained, they haven’t gone on another). For the first few weeks, he hadn’t minded. He needed to train, get back into the world. Once he’d gained the courage to ask her out, however, Ian or Evan jumped into the picture.

Jake soon learned that he needed to be in private with Amy. During training, he’d asked her to dinner once. An hour before their date, she and Dan were called out for a surprise mission. Issued by, none other than, Ian.

Now he was sitting in a small cafe, sighing at his fate. Perhaps he wasn’t meant to get into romancing this lifetime.

He was thankful to the cafe, it was almost exactly as he remembered it from all those years ago. The only addition was some new air conditioning, new appliances, and wi-fi (which Jake had learned to use on his first day. Atticus picked it up from Dan and explained it to him with his wide, excited eyes). He was sipping his coffee when a shadow obscured his vision.

“Jake Rosenbloom?” A very familiar voice chuckled. “Captain. I haven’t seen you in years.”

Jake smiled. “Vikram! I thought you were in India.”

He nodded as he sat down. “I was, for a while. Visiting my sister, doing some business there.” He sighed. “Now I’m here, checking on the new Avengers.”

Jake nodded. “There are a lot more, compared to when we were Avengers.”

Vikram raised a single eyebrow. “And you’re not anymore?”

“No, Att and I still have some get-back-into-the-world training to do. Once that’s over, Fiske says we get back in.”

The older man nodded.

It was strange. The Vikram that Jake had known, just a few years older than himself, was so well prepared. Stoic, clean, always ready to go. This Vikram had the signs of age on him. Glasses he hadn’t had when he was younger, a few wrinkles, a slouch. He was Jake’s old friend, but he wasn’t.

“Are Ian and Natalie really your kids?”

He glanced back at Jake, having been looking towards the street. “Yes, they are.”

“And the story about you and... and Isabel. Is that true?”

“Yes. Yes is it.”

They sat in silence for a while. Jake sipping his coffee, Vikram ordering his and then not even glancing at it when it came. He remember in the old days (though they weren’t so old to him) when he and Vikram would joke around with Arthur and Shep, usually pissing Hope and Eisenhower off. Vikram had used his suit many-a-times for not-so-heroic purposes, but it was all in good humor. Jake could see that that Vikram was gone, replaced by this weary man.

“You know,” the unnaturally younger of the two said, “your son has been giving me an awful lot of trouble.”

Vikram chuckled lightly, finally reaching down towards his coffee. “How so?”

“Do you know Amy Cahill?”

He nodded. “The Black Widow. Hope’s daughter.” Jake frowned at the lack of mention for Arthur, though understood. Vikram had also loved Hope.

“Well....”

“You’re in competition for her.”

Jake nodded. “Basically.”

Vikram looked over to him, moving only his eyes. “Last time you didn’t have a chance. Now you do. Take it.”

“Against your own son?”

He shrugged. “He’s still young, still a bit foolish. He won’t treat her right, not like you will.”

Jake blushed, turning down towards the empty mug.

“I’m not saying Ian won’t have his chance with her,” Vikram said softly, “she’ll be good for him. Maybe someday it’ll be the otherway around as well. But not now, not today. It’s your chance now.” Vikram stood up, placing a few dollar bills on the table. “Don’t worry about Evan, either. He’ll realize soon that Amy is not gentle enough for him.”

That night, Amy approached him, apologizing for choosing the mission over their date. Jake accepted it, “though,” he said, “you’ll have to make up for it.”

She smiled and took his hand. “Oh, I will.”


End file.
